Running back and return specialist Tarik Cohen informs Jets he is retiring from NFL: source

NEW YORK — Two days after saying he felt “all the way back,” Jets running back and return specialist Tarik Cohen is retiring, according to a source.

Cohen informed the Jets of his decision Thursday morning.

The Jets signed Cohen to a one-year contract during OTAs in May. During the first week of training camp, Cohen made a few splash plays and was expected to compete for a 53-man roster spot.

In the spring, the NFL approved a new kickoff format, which was first adopted in the XFL. Kickers will continue to kick off from their 35-yard line, but the other 10 members of the kicking team will line up at the opposite team’s 40-yard line. The changes are designed to encourage more returns.

The Jets thought Cohen could be a return option along with Xavier Gipson, who returned kicks for the team last year. Cohen’s retirement was a surprise because of how he was performing.

Cohen, 29, was selected by the Bears in 2017 in the fourth round out of North Carolina A&T. He spent four seasons in Chicago and was selected to the Pro Bowl and earned first-team All-Pro in 2018. But Cohen hasn’t taken a single snap since the 2020 season.

A torn ACL, MCL and leg fracture sidelined Cohen out of all but three games in 2020. After the Bears released him in 2021, Cohen tore his Achilles while working out on an Instagram livestream in 2022.

“I felt so stupid for making that video,” Cohen said on Monday. “I did the first rep off camera, and then my best friend was in there with me and was like, ‘Rik, you look like you’re back.’ That was the first day I ran since 2020.

“I was just too excited. My body wasn’t ready to be running at that speed or change of direction, and my Achilles just popped.”

The Panthers signed Cohen to their practice squad last season but released him during the spring.

“I definitely feel all the way back,” Cohen said this week. “I’m just trying to show the Jets the explosiveness that I have, the smartness that I’ve gained from being in the league, and lift as I rise — help all the guys in my position group.”